Just Recipes

Whenever life brings me to NYC’s west 30s, I happily make a detour for dumplings, wings, or barbecue. These are not just any snacks I stop for, though-they’re Korean dumplings, and Korean wings and Korean barbecue. That’s because in NYC, that cluster of blocks in the west 30s contains more than a smattering of Korean restaurants.

I go for the spice of gochujang, Korea’s best-known chile sauce, the ripe tanginess of kimchi, and the barbecue juices from just-grilled bulgogi.

The tastes of Korea are complex-fermentation and marinating are key techniques-which is why its dishes have never seemed the most accessible …

Just a quick stop in today to say that I’m so excited to head off to the New York City Wine & Food Festival today, to enjoy lots of incredible food and visit Extended Stay America’s booth, where Sunny Anderson will be holding court. Read more about Sunny and ESA here and here.

Here’s more about what I’ll see! Extended Stay America has built a traveling hotel room, complete with a kitchen kitchen, at the NYCWFF. There, people are taking “Selfless Selfies with Sunny” - which means, not only do you get to snap a pic with Food Network …

One of the things I love about being a devoted (ok, obsessive) home cook is that I never have to eat bad food. I don’t mean this in an “all my food is perfect” kind of way, it’s just that with a stocked pantry and a strong will to cook, I’m almost always able to prepare, then eat, what I want. If I don’t know what I want, I stick a grilled cheese in the frying pan and a meal is made.

Not so when I’m on the road. Over the summer, I showed you the minimalist polenta dishes I’d make if I were staying in a hotel with an actual kitchen, and last week I got the chance to taste and rate four home cook’s versions of their own best home-away-from-home meals.

Muhammara
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
Adapted from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden

Most of the recipes I’ve seen call for roasted red peppers or spicy red pepper paste-harissa. I like this Claudia Roden version because it uses tomato paste, which I almost always have on hand. Pomegranate molasses is available at Middle Eastern stores or online.

ingredients
1 small clove garlic
Salt
1 6-inch pita, lightly toasted and cooled
1 1/4 cups walnut halves
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup good quality olive oil
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red …

Crispy Pimenton Chickpeas
Makes 4 cups

These addictive chickpeas make for great party food. Put them out in bowls, and let your guests graze, or use them to top Spanish Rice!

Ingredients
Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas (4 cups), rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons sweet paprika
1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika (pimenton)
½ teaspoon salt
Zest and juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon fresh thyme

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Use a dish towel or a salad spinner to make sure the chickpeas are as dry as possible. Lay them flat on a non-stick baking …

A brilliant sauce from Heidi, my fave.

Walnut Miso Sauce
Makes 1-2 cups

Adapted from 101 Cookbooks.

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium clove garlic
2 tablespoons mellow white miso paste
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
¼ teaspoon salt
1/4 cup warm water

Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add more water as necessary for the texture to wind up along the lines of mayo or pesto. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.…

Now I know dried beans are cheap and good, and I do buy them from the bulk bin occasionally and take the time to cook them up. But not as much as I’d like. To make a pot of beans, you have to commit to being around for a while. You more or less have to watch the beans cook (and we all know what happens to a watched pot, right?), tasting them every 30 minutes to monitor their consistency, removing them from the heat when they’re neither too hard nor too soft. It’s hard to time this perfectly, since …